Pinamar: A Model For Sustainability in BA

Pinamar, the Argentine beach resort is a model for sustainability.

An aerial view of Pinamar, one of the most popular destinations along the Tango Coast. (Julia Sapienza)

In January, when work slows and temperatures soar, the annual exodus of Buenos Aires families to the surrounding coastlines in Argentina and Uruguay kicks into high gear. And of the many seaside towns that make up Argentina’s portion of the Tango Coast, Pinamar is one of the more popular destinations.

Pinamar has over 12,000 accommodations scattered among hotels, apartments and condominiums, while many private residences are available for rent during the peak summer months of January and February. Reservations are up over last year, according to Pinamar Director of Tourism Rosa Boero, thanks to competitive pricing: four-star hotels can be found for under $200/night while a good steak dinner for two with a bottle of malbec costs about $30.

Looking ahead to next summer, low prices won’t be the only attraction in Pinamar. According to Borneo, Pinamar will embark on an ambitious coastal conservation program in April that will involve tearing down all existing City-owned public beach facilities and replacing them with environmentally-friendly structures.

The Coastal Revnovation Plan is a first in a country where sustainability has lagged but is beginning to creep into public consciousness. One local envionrmental group, ProCostas, believes the Pinamar project can be a model for other towns along the Tango Coast. (Full PDF Report, Spanish)

For more information about Buenos Aires investment opportunities, download IncomeBA and the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

The beautiful Mar del Plata Golf Club is one of several courses along the Tango Coast.

The beautiful Mar del Plata Golf Club is one of several courses awaiting visitors to the Tango Coast.

With only three weeks before the first day of summer, La Nación surveys hotel owners and real estate brokers regarding bookings and optimism for the upcoming tourist season in Mar del Plata, Pinamar and Cariló. Reservations are up and optimism is high according to the article, thanks in part to the relative strength of the Brazilian real making Argentina’s beaches more affordable destinations for Argentines and Brazilians alike. The City of Mar del Plata is planning over 100 concerts and cultural events during the upcoming summer season, many of them free to the public. Just up the coast in Pinamar, a popular destination for the upper-middle class, hoteliers and property owners are trying to keep prices around the same level as 2008, and in Cariló, a destination La Nación describes as “untouched” by the recent economic slowdown, the trend among visitors is moving away from short-term rentals and toward “the purchase of homes, as well as new condos along the coastline.” And over in Punta del Este, Uruguay’s premier destination for the rich and famous, La Nación says confidence is high with brokers recommending property owners hold prices at 2008 levels to offset the 17% drop in the dollar’s value versus the Uruguayan Peso in 2009.

 

Bariloche

Mendoza

Uruguay

© 2011 InvestBA.com